Barbie unveils hijab-wearing doll inspired by Olympian fencer

A photograph of the doll Barbie wearing a hijab, a scarf that Muslim women wear on their heads, has been revealed for the first time.

CNN Money reported that Mattel, a toy manufacturing company in the United States that manufactures Barbie dolls, has revealed Barbie wearing a hijab for the first time at Monday night's Women of the Year Awards hosted by famous fashion magazine “Glamour.” This doll was modeled after Ibtihaj Muhammad, an American fencer who played at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games while wearing a hijab and won a bronze medal. The main points of this Barbie doll are that it is wearing a black scarf, long robe and white coat.

For the first time, Mattel has produced a Barbie doll wearing a hijab since the company’s establishment in 1945. Mattel, which only produced Barbie dolls that look like Caucasian women, has produced African American and Asian Barbie dolls for ethnic diversity, and Barbie wearing a hijab is a part of it as well. This product is scheduled to be released in fall of 2018.

“I'm proud to know that little girls everywhere can now play with a Barbie who chooses to wear hijab!,” Muhammad wrote on her Twitter.

Su-Yeon Kim sykim@donga.com